An estate agent who promised a judge she would repay the £67,000 owed to her victims funnelled a £45,000 payment into her partner’s account – who then bought the couple a swanky £25,000 Jaguar motor car.

Helen Gregory, 55, of Valley Road, Spital, Chesterfield, pleaded guilty to three charges of engaging in unfair commercial practices in August last year.

At the time, Gregory’s sentencing was delayed by six months, following reassurances that she would be able to repay the money owed to her victims.

But Derby Crown Court heard yesterday (Weds) that Gregory has not paid a single penny back to victims – despite £45,000 being paid into her account by another business in December 2014 and January 2015.

Instead of repaying her victims, as agreed in August, Gregory funnelled the funds straight into her partner’s account – who then treated the couple to a swanky £25,000 Jaguar car, the court heard.

Jailing Gregory for 10 months yesterday, Judge J Burgess said: “It would have been more impressive if the £45,000 you received had not been paid to your partner, and then funds from that process gone to a payment of an expensive motor car.

“This money should have been paid back to creditors.”

Judge Burgess added: “This is a case of promises, promises, promises being made and not kept.”

Gregory – who owned three estate agencies which operated in Derbyshire – was jailed for 10 months, and told she will serve half-of-that in custody. She was also banned as working as a company director for six years.